The silence grew, becoming awkward. I took nervous sips of my coffee, praying for Bis to return soon. Al was holding onto something, nearly bursting with some thought or truth, afraid of how I'd take it. The tension in his posture said as much without me having to ask.

"I had fun tonight," he finally spoke, startling me with the abrupt nature of it after so much silence.

"That's it?" I laughed. "That's your dire revelation?" The alcohol was making me giddy.

I stifled my laughter at the seriousness of his expression. "Rob, the barista, he called you my date. Are you? Is this a date?" He turned to me, his eyes reaching out for understanding. He looked like nothing so much as a lost teenager. That mix of confused hope and wariness was something I had never expected from him. It gave me pause.

"I don't know," I said at length. "It didn't start out that way. I didn't plan it to be." Sometimes, I felt as if there were two different Als. The big, scary demon Al, the one I'd first met, and the earnest, somewhat sweet Al, the one I was catching glimpses of. Those glimpses were becoming more frequent, as of late. I couldn't tell which was the real one, or if they were two facets of the same person. The vulnerability I thought I saw in him seemed too genuine to be an act. "It certainly seems that way." The silence returned. Rather than hurt by my vague answer, he seemed thoughtful. Unable to stand it any longer, I asked, "Do you want it to be?"

"I suppose the real question is, do you?"

"Either way, it was a good time. I don't really want to overanalyze it."

"That's not an answer."

"Well, you didn't really give me one, either, so there we are," I pointed out with a little bit of snap to my tone.

Silence descended once more. I got up to grab another log to toss on the fire, wondering what in the world was keeping Bis. Apparently, Al found fault with how I placed the log, as he nudged it a little with his foot, sending up sparks. I stood by the fire, letting the heat of it waft up my body to my face. Al went to retrieve another log, unsatisfied with the amount that was already on it. When he finished stacking them on in some complex pattern I didn't care to decipher, he stood as well. He shoved his hands into his coat pockets, stating into the fire as if it held the answers to the universal questions in the embers.

"I do," he finally said. "I haven't been on many… dates. The only female demon for the last few centuries has been insane. Seducing mortal women was a means to an end. This is better, I think." He quirked a smile at me, his eyes darting up from watching the fire to gauge my expression.

"You mean, now that you see me as an equal," I reasoned skeptically. He sighed and pulled a hand out of his pocket, rubbing at his neck. The nervous gesture was another glimpse of other Al. Honestly, I couldn't tell if it was an act.

He turned away from the fire to face me fully, letting his hand drop and imploring me to see the gravity of the truth he was about to bestow, how much faith it took for him to say. "Sometimes, I see you as a child, my student. You're so young and inexperienced in your power that it looks that way. Other times, I feel as though you are superior to us all, usually after I've been inside your soul, seeing myself through your eyes. It humbles me. When we kiss, I can see you as no other than a desirable female, and all I want to do is be a desirable male… and… do other things." I could gather what those other things were. The thought provoked images of sweaty bodies straining with each other in the dark. I blushed. "I worried that you would never see me as anything more than the monster you despise, at worst, and a sometimes useful source of information, at best."

"You don't worry about that any more?"

"No. I don't. I know better."

"Maybe you're right. You seem to have changed much since you first tried to kill me," I admitted, frowning as I looked into the fire as he had done.

"I haven't changed. Your perception has, through the time we've spent together. The monster is still here. I don't have lofty notions of nobility of spirit you prize so highly, but somehow you've found a way to look past the monster on the surface and see the man within, a man worth knowing. I'd like to show you more of him, if you're willing to let me." I was glad that he hadn't decided to lie to me, that he made no promises, and that he didn't hide who he was, but I was still struggling with the concept of… dating Al.

"They say familiarity breeds contempt," I offered, deflecting.

"In our case, I do not believe it will be so. The more I learn of you , the more time we spend together, the more I wish to know. I think you find the same is true, as well."

I raised my eyes to peer back at him, barely believing what I'd heard. "You said you knew you weren't the one to complete me."

"I still feel that way," he confirmed, stepping closer, into my personal space.

"Then why…?"

"Just because it's not forever doesn't make it a mistake. You and I," he said, cupping my cheek in his hand, "could have a lot of fun together. I haven't met the one who will complete you, and believe me, when I do, I will let you know. Until then, we have a lot to offer one another. You might just end up making me a better person, and I know I can help make you a stronger one."

My heart beat fast in my chest as he slid his hand around to the nape of my neck and drew me closer. "What about Newt?"

"She didn't want me using my position as your teacher to compel you into a physical relationship. I'm sure if we explain the nature of what we want to her and take the necessary precautions she'd want us to, that she'd come around." In the circle of his arms, staring into his borrowed face, I forgot the rest of the world existed. We were alone in our own private universe.

"I don't like that we have to clear it through her." I frowned, not wanting to bring my personal business under her scrutiny.

"Unless you're ready to take her place as Alpha Bitch, I don't see a way around that. So. What do you say? Shall we give it a try and see where it leads?" His hand returned to my face, his thumb swiping at my lower lip, teasing.

I was fighting to keep my wits about me. What he said made sense. Old habits of holding guys at arm's length died hard. I felt there had to be some sort of catch. If I could just figure it out, I'd have the reason I needed to turn him down for good, despite how I wanted it. It shocked me to admit to myself that I did. "I'll think about it. That's the best I can do for now."

"Ms Morgan!" Bis called from the deck above, breaking the spell. "They're closing!"

Al released me and stepped back with a sad, knowing smile. "I suppose we'd better go pay our tab, then."

"You douse the fire. I'll pay the tab."

We left through the back gate to go to my car. Now that I'd attuned to the line, I could go there without having to drive again. I could make it home the same way, but I didn't want to leave my car. It was parked at a meter and would be towed away in the morning. I couldn't really afford a parking ticket on top of the towing fee.

The drive back to the church was uneventful, despite Al's demand that he see me home. When a demon worries for your safety, you know something's up. I didn't like that the theft of a statue was making him nervous enough to want to be there, to protect me.

True to his word, he walked with me the short distance from the garage to the front door of the church. I turned expectantly on the stoop. He was still there. "Uh, thanks for seeing me home," I murmured. "I'd ask you in, but… you know. Hallowed."

"Can I meet you in the kitchen?" he pressed, clearly not wanting to go quite yet. I was glad that he'd bothered to ask permission.

"Let me warn whoever's here that we have a guest."

"Afraid of what I'll do to them?" He was amused at the prospect and rocked back and forth on his heels, grinning devilishly.

"No. Afraid what a spooked Ivy will do to you. Then I worry what you'll do to her in retaliation. Let me just head that trouble off at the pass."

I hung my coat up on the hook by the door and slipped my boots off onto the mat, wondering how long the curse to make them would last. Bis went scrabbling off to places only he knew. I called to Ivy as I came in, and heard a shuffle of footfalls before the sharp retort of her bedroom door shutting with vamp speed. "Ivy?"

"Uhm, hi, Rachel," she peeked out from the hall leading to the back of the church. "I wasn't expecting you back so soon." Her black glossy hair was a tousle and from what I could see, she was only wearing her black satin robe over bare feet.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt," I floundered. "You, uh, you go have fun. I'll be in the kitchen. With Al."

"Oh," she frowned, her hand resting on the doorjamb. "He's still hanging around?"

"Shop talk. You know. Just keep it to a dull roar, would you?" As embarrassing as it was, nearly walking in on my roommate with somebody in our church, it made me feel a little bit better about bringing somebody home, too. She nodded, blushing, and flitted back around the corner into her room. From the commotion that my arrival caused, I could guess that they were in the living room when they started. I'd done things in there, too. Things with Kisten. So I couldn't complain about her choice of venue.

The sanctuary smelled of heady Vamp incense. The trail of it ended at her bedroom door, but by the time I was out of the cloud, the damage was already done. My scar tingled and I was pretty sure Al would be able to tell, both about me, and about what she was up to. Hushed voices from within her room were too quiet to make out as I gained the kitchen. Standing outside the back door was my gentleman caller demon. I opened the door to invite him inside.

He took the steps in two bounds, eager to get out of the cold. He blew on his hands to warm them and ventured deeper into the kitchen, away from the door. I closed it swiftly, not wanting to let all the heat out. It was expensive enough to heat the church without trying to heat the whole outdoors. "Make yourself at home," I mockingly muttered, turning to him with a smile to take away the sting.

"Sorry about my dash inside. It's cold in this body."

"So that's not just a surface illusion?"

"It's a full transformation. It let me pass mostly undetected around the IS. I've been working on this one for a while. I've almost perfected it. With a borrowed, unblemished aura, no one would be the wiser."

"That's amazing. And… really… worrisome."

"My pet projects are the least of your worries, love. We must once again clear your name before they decide to exile you to the ever after. Unless you'd like to come live with me," he grinned.

"I like being able to move around freely in both worlds, thank you very much."

"You're welcome. The offer still stands." He regarded me seriously, but I could tell he knew I wouldn't take him up on it.

"You'd miss the coffee," I said, waving the offer and the emotion behind it away.

"Yes, I suppose I would. It wouldn't be the end of the world, though, and I'd have one hell of a consolation prize."

"I'm sure you'd find some gullible witch or warlock to summon you out for a cup every now and again."

"That's been the way it worked in the past," he agreed amiably.

I shook my head, smiling. We were speaking strictly in hypothetical terms. The mystery was still there to be solved, and I wanted to focus on that. "So, what's our next move?"

"Well, I suggest you get in touch with your elf and I will head to the archives to research the magical trace I found."

"Sounds like a plan," I shrugged. "Do you want a drink or something?" I asked as he shifted about the room restlessly.

"That would be lovely."

I went about the business of making a fresh pot while Al wandered around, looking at things. He'd done it before when I'd had him in a circle. That time he had started burning my spell books. This time, he seemed innocently curious, although not much about my kitchen had changed from his last inspection. With my back turned, I couldn't tell he was switching on the portable radio until I'd heard it click on. I often used it while I was baking in winter, so as not to disturb sleeping pixies out in the sanctuary. The station was set to my favorite. Thankfully, he didn't change it.

A soft rock and roll ballad poured out from the speakers. Once my attention was no longer needed at the coffee pot, I turned to find Al seated at the island, still dressed as a human. I leaned back against the counter and crossed my legs at the ankles and my arms over my middle, waiting. The gurgle of the coffeemaker and the sound of the radio was comforting, but I was still a little uneasy about why Al wanted to prolong our… date. Did he think I was going to invite him into my bed? I wasn't. In any case, he couldn't go there, and I wasn't yet sure if I was ready to, either.

He stood slowly, looking at me with intent. What that intent broke down into, I couldn't say, but I held my place and my posture, sure it didn't bode well for me. He took off his charcoal coat, hanging it on the chair instead of banishing it to nothing, acting like a normal guy in my kitchen rather than a demon with nearly unfathomable power. He approached me slowly, giving me ample time to tell him to back off or to make an escape. Arm's length away, he halted. His expression told me nothing about what he would do next.

He held out a hand for me to take, quirking a grin. "May I have this dance?"

My arms fell to my side with the force of my surprise. Whatever I thought he would do, that wasn't it. "Seriously?"

"I take it you don't get offers to dance very often," he replied, but kept his hand hovering before me.

"I, uh, it's been a while, I suppose."

"I'm here, you're here, the music is here," he said, parodying my turn of phrase from out on the ice. "Let's just dance."

I cocked my head and shrugged, sighing. "Why not?" I took his hand and he led me out into the small empty space between the island and the hallway before bringing me in close. We swayed in time to the soft rock coming from the radio. I held myself stiffly, at first, but in time I started to relax, enjoying the dance. Eventually, I laid my head to rest on his shoulder, hearing his heart beat and feeling the warmth of skin and muscle beneath my cheek.

He lowered his chin to rest on my hair and drew my hand up to lay on his shoulder so he could send his own to join the other at my waist. I never thought that a demon could be romantic, but Al was making a good show of it, holding me gently and giving comfort. We swayed without rhythm, more like we were hugging to music, rather than dancing.

The whisper of his cheek against mine in a velvet caress and he breathed into my ear a soft murmur: "I could be anything or any one for you. Every night could be like this, if you'd only say the word."

I lifted my head to look at him, heart kicking like a mule at the offer. "Al, what are you doing?"

He lifted a hand to cup my jaw, eyes flicking back and forth between my own. I knew he wanted to kiss me, but I wanted an answer. "Giving you food for thought," he replied, and leaned in to taste my lips. My eyes slid shut of their own volition as I felt the soft warmth of his lips. I noted the difference in the texture from Pierce's, from Al's lordling. They were plumper than both, without the rasp of Pierce's whiskers or the nearly scorching heat of Al's normal body temperature. I held my breath as he nuzzled them back and forth against mine in a barely-there caress, beguiling me to press back at him and deepen the contact. My breath left me in a moan, and I drew another as he parted my lips with his tongue, sending it searching past my teeth to tangle with mine. He didn't grab my hips or drag me closer, but seemed content to let his lips and tongue convey his passion. Instead, I was the one who grasped him tighter, sending fingers into his short-cropped hair and pressing my breasts hard against him.

I could feel the ridge of his arousal, trapped in his trousers, so I knew he wasn't unaffected. He seemed to be forcing himself not to take things further, rather than overwhelming my senses in ways I knew he could. It seemed like this was the newest in a long line of tactics he liked to employ with me. To tell the truth, I was a little put off by it. I wanted the fire of his passion, not the lukewarm kisses of his restraint. It reminded me far too much of what I'd had with Nick. After all I'd experienced since, it paled in comparison to how I knew it could be.

Sensing my frustration, he let me pull back without protest. "Stop it," I growled. "Stop acting like some lame-ass human and kiss me properly." I didn't care if Ivy's vamp-enhanced hearing caught it. I was too pissed off to wonder what she thought of the fact that I was kissing Al. I figured she was far too busy to be eavesdropping, in any case.

"Not to your taste, I take it?" His eyes glinted. "Shall we try something else on for size?" A new wash of red everafter coated him, while I was still partially holding onto him. Muscles and sinews shifted, altered, and the fabric of his clothing with them. The stretchy cotton of his turtleneck became a silk button-down. Brown eyes turned to crystalline blue. His tanned complexion shifted to a paler, more porcelain one, and his hair became black and glossy, growing out to shoulder-length. He became slightly taller, more muscular, and his earlobe sported a glinting silver hoop. He grinned wolfishly showing me pointed canines, and my next breath brought a waft of sweet vamp incense through my nose and over my tongue. He was, head-to-toe, one of the most gorgeous living vamps I'd ever laid eyes on, and I'd seen more than my fair share. The hint of a five o' clock shadow lent itself well to his bad boy appeal. It didn't hurt that I knew Al was the baddest boy on this side of the lines. I felt myself growing a little damp, and he was barely even touching me.

I took a deeper breath, pulling his incense into me, letting it rub up against my hormones to make them spark. From the feel of things, Al was very good at playing the part of a vampire, and for the moment, I was all about getting into the game. I thought my scare, when I thought I'd been bound, had rid me of my desire to flirt with dangerous vampires. I was wrong. So, so very wrong. I was still a sucker for the pheromones, the supernatural speed and strength, the responses pulled from my scars, and the dangerous glint of pointy teeth in a big way.

I welcomed the return of harsh stubble, adding spice to the pleasure, as he kissed me long and hard in exactly the way I'd wanted him to. Hands clutched and grabbed, clothing was shoved out of the way, buttons were ripped from their moorings as I tore his shirt wide open to get at the skin of his muscled chest. I latched onto a nipple, loving the sound of the groan I inspired. The nipple left my mouth with a pop as he lifted me up by my waist so I could sling my legs around his hips.

He carried me to the island, using the counter at my back to make me feel trapped between it and his hard place. Takata's Red Ribbons began playing on the radio, a live studio version of it I'd never heard before. It dimly registered that I was working toward getting my rocks off while my biological father sang to me on the radio. The hint of taboo had me feeling naughty and quite the bad girl, myself. It only made the whole thing hotter.

Al's mouth left mine. Panting, he pulled back so that he could grip the hem of my turtleneck sweater. I helped him get it over my head and he tossed it carelessly aside, leaving me in a black lace bra that left very little to the imagination. His eyes blazed with lustful intent. I threw my head back as he shifted me up onto the counter so he could cover my breasts with his large, elegantly boned hands. I ground my core over his erection through two layers of leather pants as he cupped me. His hands didn't linger long, though, and slid upward over my chest and collar bones, gliding over my neck, to grip my face and pull it back to his for another soul-searing kiss. My scar began to tingle and throb in earnest as he brushed fingertips over the unblemished skin that hid his saliva, and Ivy's.

Wanting and needing more skin-to-skin contact, I scooted back on the counter so I could reach the button at the front of his pants. A slight fumbling start, but a few quick tugs, and I had it unbuttoned. I pulled the leather hard to the side, laying open the zipper as wide as it would go and claiming my prize in an instant. At the first contact between my hand and his cock, he let out a startled groan. His breathing grew ragged as I circled him with my fingers, feeling the velvet skin over the hard core within, pulling it up and down in a firm grip that had him growling and thrusting back into the sheath that I'd made. Trembling, he grabbed my wrist, taking my hand away before I'd had my fill of playing with him. He trapped the other wrist just as swiftly, pulling both my hands down onto the countertop and holding them there as he attacked my mouth with renewed fervor.

Breathing became a real problem. I couldn't get enough air. I broke from the kiss and he trailed his lips over my cheek, across my jaw, to send spikes of pleasure through open-mouthed kisses over my scars. He freed my wrists finally, and I immediately sent my fingers threading through the silky strands of his hair to hold his head to me. He urged my legs to release his hips and I was lifted by the iron band of an arm around the small of my back, while the hand of the other was busily undoing my own leather pants. Not satisfied to simply get them open, he wanted them off. He peeled them over my hips, setting me on my feet so he could continue their downward journey to the floor. As soon as they were pooled at my feet, he lifted me up onto the counter once again, dragging me flush against his body, where the only barriers between us were a few scraps of silk and lace. I crossed my ankles behind his firm buttocks, pulling him back just as hard. I was moments away from tugging the crotch of my panties out of the way so I could take him inside me as his mouth returned to worry at my neck, teeth nipping gently over my scar. I gripped at the wide expanse of his shoulders, leaning in to give him better access.

"Grant me this," he murmured against my skin. The words every living vamp learned as soon as they were old enough to bite brought me back to myself with a jolt.

"No… I can't. Ivy said…"

"That your blood belonged to her?" He chuckled darkly against my skin. "That she'd kill anyone who touched it?" He pulled back to stare unerringly into my eyes. My pulse galloped as I fought to catch my breath. "I'd love to see her try. She's nobody's scion. If Piscary couldn't finish me off, what do you think your little gal pal could do? Gnaw on me until I die of boredom?"

"I don't want to lose her," I whimpered, trembling with desire and fear. He breathed in the cocktail of my emotions, his eyes slipping closed with relish. When they opened, they pierced right through me.

"She has already given up that claim. She did that in Seattle. Your blood belongs to no one but yourself. You are demoness. You. Are. Powerful. Own that power."

I let out a hiccuping breath, taking in another, calming my racing heartbeat. Our gazes locked, I felt the truth. My blood, my power, was my own. It was always my choice. I couldn't use Ivy as an excuse forever. She had already moved on. The far-reaching consequences of letting him sink his fangs into me, though, still held the potential to hurt somebody I loved. "The answer is still no, at least for now," I said, my resolve rock-steady as my voice.

He shrugged, the play of muscles under skin catching my attention at the gesture. "It's not like I need blood. I can wait forever, if I have to."

"That doesn't mean I'm saying no to the rest of it," I told him squarely. "I intend to finish what we started, otherwise I might have to hurt somebody."

"I concur," he replied, and captured my mouth once more.

Another of Takata's songs came on the radio, also a live studio version I didn't know existed. I relished the feelings of renewed passions our deep kisses provoked in me, noting that throughout the entirety of our pause, his erection had never faltered. Grasping hands and breathy moans played counterpoint to acoustic guitar and Takata's crooning lyrics. My panties were soaked through with my juices and my nipples were hard enough to cut glass. I squirmed against Al in his vampire body, seeking friction the wet silk of my panties hinted at, but ultimately denied.

Sensing my need, my frustration, and feeling his own, Al grasped the elastic of the skimpy fabric on both sides of my waist and ripped the offending garment clear apart. Freed of the constraints of my legs, it was nothing to whip it completely away from my body. Now, nothing stood between his straining cock and my dripping core but air. He produced a condom from nowhere as he rubbed my clitoris with the pad of a thumb, keeping me occupied as he rolled the latex down.

He pulled his head back sharply, silently commanding me to meet his gaze. "Do you want this?" He demanded, stopping his circling thumb so I would answer him.

"Yes."

"Do you want me?"

"Yes!"

"If we go there, I will not be able to stop in the middle if you change your mind. Are you sure?"

"God, yes."

He lined himself up with my entrance, staring into my eyes with a fierceness. "Then you shall have it," he said and thrust home.

He held still, eyes locked on mine, as the enormity of the moment caught us both. Al was inside me. Al was inside me! We were physically joined, culminating years of enmity, grudging respect, companionship, and finally and most recently, sexual tension you could cut with a knife. I was here, in my kitchen, having sex with Al for the first time while Takata played on the radio and my roommate was doing somebody else a few doors down and pixies slumbered in my desk and Bis was God knew where, but I couldn't think any further at the moment, because Al started to move.

He moved in me, slowly and powerfully, gaining momentum with each thrust and with each thrust, I rose to meet him fully. We alternated kissing lips and shoulders, muffling groans against heated skin when it became too much, nipping and laving it when it wasn't. Our pace became frantic until we were nearly hurling ourselves at one another. The head of his cock bumped unerringly at the sweetest place on my inner walls, pounding pleasure through every inch of my flesh as I grasped at him and he gripped me in return. I knew I would have finger-shaped bruises on my hips in the morning, but in the throes of our animalistic joining, I couldn't summon a care.

"God, Rachel," he cried out in a low, urgent voice. "I can't hold on much longer."

I felt the flash point approaching swiftly. "Oh… oh my… I'm going to…." My toes curled and my nails dug in as it overtook me. My awareness narrowed to the blinding light within as I fell prey to my orgasm. The clench of my muscles heralded its arrival, and Al moaned in relief as he succumbed to his own.

Unable to release him just yet, I laid my head on his shoulder and panted, the sweat on my forehead mingling with the sheen on his skin. I groaned in boneless repletion, feeling sleepy, worn-out, and pleasantly tingly all over.

Over the sound of our breathing returning to normal and the strains of guitar on the radio, I heard Ivy's shout of completion echo from her bedroom. I smiled against Al's shoulder. "Good for you, Ivy," I murmured, blushing a bit at the knowledge that she'd most definitely heard me cry out, too. Al chuckled at my rejoiner to her shout. I wondered if my sounds of enjoyment had enhanced her experience, as funny as the thought made me feel. I wasn't an exhibitionist by any means, but Al had a way of making me forget myself when he had me in his clutches.

"I wish I could carry you to your bed," Al murmured against my hair. "This would be a lot more comfortable."

"Just… give me another minute. Or maybe you could take on a form that's slightly less… endowed?"

"I don't have any of those," he admitted, shaking slightly with laughter.

"Men," I harrumphed. "You're all alike. Of course you wouldn't." I let out a contented sigh and snuggled closer into his shoulder.

"No regrets, then?" he asked, pulling back to look down at me.

I lifted my head to look back. "Nope. Although I kinda wish we'd done this elsewhere. I'll never see my kitchen in the same way again, and I'm going to need to thoroughly disinfect the countertop before I can bring myself to cook, spell, or eat on it."

"Probably a wise decision," he agreed amiably. I smacked his shoulder. "What? What did I do?"

I kissed the spot to take away the sting. "Don't get cheeky with me, mister. I'm a powerful demoness!" I let the giggles I'd been holding back free.

"So you are. Ah. I think that's done it," he said, pulling a face as he slipped free of my body, grasping the base so the condom would go with him. I hopped down from the countertop as he took the wrapping and its payload to the trash. I picked up my ruined underwear from the floor with a sigh. It had been one of my favorite pairs.

I gathered up my pile of clothing and made a hasty exit in the direction of my bedroom to the sound of Al's protests. "I'll be right back," I assured him. "I have to go to the bathroom and find something to slip on."

He glanced at the two remaining phials of potion on my sink significantly, and I shook my head. "So not worth it and I still have to pee."

I did my business and slipped on my classier velvet bathrobe before making my reappearance in the kitchen. Al had refastened his pants, but left the shirt gaping. He looked like a model on the cover of a romance novel. I wouldn't toss him out of bed for eating crackers, in fact I had the distinct urge to eat him. He was slouched in my chair, listening to the radio, and waiting for me to come back. He had the air of a man who was pleased with himself and the rest of the world, but was still waiting for the other shoe to drop. The radio announcer was asking somebody a question and I nearly managed to blot the whole thing from my awareness as I approached my new lover.

With surprise, I heard Takata answer his question. Those weren't recordings I'd heard, he was really there at the station giving a live performance. I wondered why he never contacted me to let me know he was in town. I switched my trajectory in mid-stride as I went to go retrieve my cup of coffee while I listened raptly to my biological father giving an interview about his newest album, further love play put on the back burner for the moment.

"Can we hear a little something of what you've been working on?"

"Sure. I was actually planning on playing the signature piece of the album for the first time, tonight," Takata's slightly raspy voice replied.

"This is just incredible, folks," the announcer said. "For those of you just tuning in, Takata has agreed to debut a single from the new album right here in our studio for all of you at home."

"I'd like to dedicate this performance to a very special someone in Cincinnati tonight. This song's called 'She'," Takata said, and then he began to play. The chord progression was simple, though the intricacy of the guitar work more than made up for it. When he began to sing the lyrics, I felt my heart go up into my throat.

She changes everything she touches and

Everything she touches changes.

The earth, the air, the fire, the water;

Everything she touches changes.

I wandered closer to the radio, reaching out to touch it, to ensure it was real. "Im awake, right?" I turned to Al, begging him to confirm it.

"Well, you're not dreaming. If anybody's dreaming, it's me." He said and came over to wrap his arms around me from behind and rest his chin on the top of my head. I felt like I was wearing him like a coat, and it felt really nice, but my mind had caught a thread of a mystery and wouldn't let go until I'd unraveled it.

"That song. That melody. I heard it in my dream. Ceri was humming it when I woke up, so I thought that's where it came from, but Takata is playing that song for the first time, live."

"It's an old melody, love," he said reassuringly. "The words have been shifted about, but they come from old Wiccan campfire songs. You probably heard it while you were at that camp, which is why you wouldn't remember. I'm not surprised he's reusing them, this close to the Solstice."

"Oh," I said, feeling foolish. "I guess that makes a lot of sense. I know it's silly, but it seemed like such a crazy coincidence. I had that dream the day the statue went missing, about an hour before."

"It seems to be weighing heavy on your mind. Why don't you tell me about it?"

"It's… hard to explain why it strikes me as so odd," I said, frowning. "Maybe you'd better just look and see the memory. You'd understand better than I could tell it."

"You want me to read your mind?" he asked in surprise.

I turned in his arms to look up at him. "Why not? You've seen my memories before, plus my soul laid bare and almost every inch of my naked body, just now, so what's left to hide?"

"Good point. Try to focus on the memory you want me to see, that way I won't have to be so invasive."

I felt his mind touch mine, like gently probing fingers, as I relived for him my memory of the dream. Brief as the dream was, innocuous as it seemed, it still unsettled me. I hoped that whatever he thought of it would put my mind at ease.

He pulled back with a worried frown once the memory was done. I didn't like how he shared my unease. "That's… not good."

"What? What does it mean?"

"I can't be sure until I've spoken to the Collective, but I suspect…" he trailed off, covering his mouth with his hand, as if afraid to speak his suspicions aloud.

"What! What is it?"

"It's Mom."

a/n

Dun dun dunnnnnn. Don't get it? Don't worry. Rachel doesn't either, but in the next chapter, Al will explain.

So, there you go. Some real live lemons to keep you warm at night and a thickening plot in case you thought I was just in it for the sex. What ever will Ivy think of Rachel's antics in the kitchen? Who was in Ivy's bedroom? What really happened with the statue? How will Newt react when she finds out that Al and Rachel got it on? What did Al mean when he said it was 'Mom'? Answers will be coming in our next episodes, so stay tuned